Circassians In Bulgaria
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The Circassians in Bulgaria were a large
ethnic minority The term "minority group" has different meanings, depending on the context. According to common usage, it can be defined simply as a group in society with the least number of individuals, or less than half of a population. Usually a minority g ...
in the territory that constitutes modern
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
. In the late 19th century, they numbered around 150,000. In 1992, 573 people in the country identified themselves as Circassian.


History


Settlement

After the
Circassian genocide The Circassian genocide, or Tsitsekun, was the systematic mass killing, ethnic cleansing, and forced displacement of between 95% and 97% of the Circassian people during the final stages of the Russian invasion of Circassia in the 19th centur ...
following the
Russo-Circassian War The Russo-Circassian War, also known as the Russian invasion of Circassia, was the 101-year-long invasion of Circassia by the Russian Empire. The conflict started in 1763 ( O.S.) with Russia assuming authority in Circassia, followed by Circa ...
, large number of Circassians were exiled to the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, including in Bulgaria, where there was an estimated number of 150,000 Circassians. In 1863, members of the
Abzakh The Abzakh (Adyghe language, Circassian: Абдзэх, ''Abdzekh''; Russian language, Russian: абадзехи) also known as Abdzakhs or Abadzekhs are one of the twelve major Circassians, Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve star ...
tribe started settling in Bulgaria. At first arrival, the Circassians mistook the Bulgarians for Russians due to the fact that both spoke a Slavic language and were Orthodox Christians. Those who believed that they have simply been exiled to another region of Russia believed that the war was still ongoing and were quick to attack Bulgarian villages until the confusion was cleared. In 1861–1862 alone, in the Danube Vilayet, there were 41,000 Circassian refugee families.Natho, Kadir I. ''Circassian History''. Page 380 Compact masses were settled in today's regions of Vidin, Vratsa, Montana, Shumen, Dobrich and Veliko Tarnovo, where the Circassians created their own villages, and another part of them settled in Bulgarian or Turkish villages. In the region of Vratsa, Montana and Pleven, Circassians are also settled in Tatar villages. In Southern Bulgaria, the most numerous Circassian community was created in Yambol, Burgas and partly in today's Stara Zagora region.


Diseases and starvation

Their lives were not easy, as the inability of the Circassians to adapt to the new climate in the areas where they are inhabited led to serious diseases. Many families completely disappeared within a few years. Around 80,000 Circassians lived in settlements that came to be referred as "death camps" on the outskirts of
Varna Varna may refer to: Places Europe *Varna, Bulgaria, a city ** Varna Province ** Varna Municipality ** Gulf of Varna ** Lake Varna **Varna Necropolis * Vahrn, or Varna, a municipality in Italy * Varna (Šabac), a village in Serbia Asia * Var ...
, where they were deprived of food and subjected to diseases. Reportedly, when Circassians asked for bread, Turkish soldiers would chase them down because the Turks were afraid of the diseases the Circassians might have contracted. Most Circassians died, and the Ottomans were unable to bury the vast number of bodies, so they enlisted the help of convicts. "We would rather move to Siberia than live in this Siberia... one can die, not live, on the indicated place," one Circassian in the region wrote to the zone's Governor-General. Some starving Circassians resorted to banditry. Both the Muslim and Christian population of
Vidin Vidin (, ) is a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in north-western Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Romania and Serbia, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin (since ...
volunteered to help the starving Circassian settlers by increasing grain production for them. The Ottoman authorities attempted to turn the Circassians into productive farmers by providing them with land to cultivate, with the expectation that the native inhabitants of the areas would look after them and "welcome them as brothers." This would create problems in Bulgaria, where some people were asked to assist in the construction of houses for the starving Circassians. Some Bulgarians have also been reported to have been driven out of their homes in favor of Circassians, though these claims are contradictory and dubious at best.


Cooperation with the Ottoman authorities

Circassian gangs and Turkish gangs were quick to form alliances, due to their common Islamic faith and shared grudge for Orthodox Slavs. The Circassians were active participants in the conflicts in the region, always siding with the Ottomans against the native Christian population in the Balkans. In 1876 Circassians aided with the Turks in crushing the April uprising, carrying out atrocities against the Christian population, causing sympathy for Bulgarians in Europe. During the 1877-78 Russo-Turkish War, the Circassians were used by the Turkish army as irregular cavalry units. In the summer of 1877, mainly Circassian irregular cavalry from the villages of Hasanoglu and Otmanlii participated on the Turkish side in the battle for Nova Zagora. The Circassians took an active part in the battles for Shipka, Lovech and Pleven. Circassians in the Ottoman army also raped and murdered Bulgarians during the 1877 Russo-Turkish war.


Exile

The Circassians in Bulgaria fiercely opposed the Bulgarian Revolt in 1876. Kosovo Circassians also joined the Bulgarian Circassians. European countries in turn demanded that the Circassians leave the region. The Circassians were seen as a "Muslim threat" and expelled from Bulgaria and other parts of the Balkans by Russian armies following the end of the Russo-Turkish war. They were not allowed to return, so the Ottoman authorities settled them in new other lands such as in modern
Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
(see
Circassians in Jordan Circassians in Jordan (; ) are descendants of Circassian refugees who arrived in Jordan in the late 19th century after the Circassian genocide in the 1860s and the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). They settled in Jordan, then a part of Ottoman ...
), where they would have conflict with Bedouin Arabs, and
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
(see
Circassians in Turkey Circassians in Turkey refers to people born in or residing in Turkey that are of Circassian origin. The Circassians are one of the largest ethnic minorities in Turkey, with a population estimated to be two million, or according to the EU rep ...
), where they would initially not be welcomed, and would ally with the
Chechens The Chechens ( ; , , Old Chechen: Нахчой, ''Naxçoy''), historically also known as ''Kistin, Kisti'' and ''Durdzuks'', are a Northeast Caucasian languages, Northeast Caucasian ethnic group of the Nakh peoples native to the North Caucasus. ...
(see
Chechens in Turkey Chechens in Turkey (; ) are Turkish citizens of Chechen descent and Chechen refugees living in Turkey. The Chechen diaspora in Turkey dates back to the 19th century when the Russian Empire started ethnically cleansing Caucasians from their hom ...
) against the
Kurds Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...
and
Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...
.Natho, Kadir I. ''Circassian History.''


Notes


References

{{Circassian diaspora Circassian diaspora Ethnic groups in Bulgaria